Simon Verelst, 1644–1710, Dutch, active in Britain (by 1669)
Title:
Mary of Modena
Date:
ca. 1680
Materials & Techniques:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
49 1/2 x 40 7/16 inches (125.7 x 102.7 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1979.19
Gallery Label:
Maria d’Este, or Mary of Modena (1658–1718), was James II’s consort. In Protestant England, Mary’s Catholicism, and the worry that she would produce a Catholic heir, resulted in James’s deposition from the throne and exclusion of their son, Prince James Francis Edward Stuart (1688–1766), “The Old Pretender,” from the succession. When Simon Verelst arrived in London in 1669, he was famous for his depiction of flowers; their quality is attested to here by a vivid bouquet of poppies and roses. Verelst expanded his practice to include portraiture and became one of the highest paid painters in the city. However, by 1685, he was suffering from mental illness. The antiquary George Vertue records that Verelst stopped sleeping and working altogether, spending most of his time on long solitary walks. He allegedly bought a velvet cape, varnished his hat and shoes, and styled himself the “God of Flowers” and the “King of Portrait Painters.” Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016
